Discharge means for tanks.



PATENTED MAR; 10, 1903.

L. H. MITCHELL. DISGHARGE MEANS FOR TANKS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18, 1902.

F0 MODEL.

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lUNllTlE-D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEBBEUS H. MITCHELL, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

DISCHARGE MEANS FOR TANKS.

$.PECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,314, dated March 10, 1903.

Application filed June 18, 1902. Serial No. 112,239. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEBBEUS I-I. MITCHELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Discharge Apparatus for Tanks; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereou,wl1ich form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements connected with discharge-doors for use either in settlingtanks for separating sands from slimes or in leaching-tanks for the extractions of metals from pulverized ores by the cyanid or other processes; and it has for its object the production of a simple, inexpensive, durable, and conveniently-operated device of this character by which the removal of the sands or leached residues from the tank after the process of settling is greatly facili-.

tated. In most forms of discharge-doors of this class the mechanism for locking and unlocking the doors is usually beneath the funnel, which is very inconvenient, especially in tanks where the method of sluicing out the tailings with water is employed.

A further object is to construct the funnel without a closed bottom, so as to preserve a circular aperture through the sands or other material, and which funnel itself serves as a gate and an instrument by means of which it is locked and unlocked, and any leakage caused by insecure locking may be detected by looking through the funnel from the top.

With these and many other objects in view, which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same con sists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

The fundamental features of the invention involved in the novel construction and arrangement of parts especially adapting the device for settling or leaching tanks are necessarily susceptible to a wide range of modification without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention; but a preferred embodiment of the improvement is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a portion of a tank, showing the funnel and the means for locking the same to the openingin the floor of the tank. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the base of the funnel detached. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of a mode of securing the gasket in place.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the bottom of a settling or leaching tank provided with an opening in which is secured a casting 2, having an annular flange 3,which rests upon the top of the floor of the tank and through which bolts at pass to engage a ring 5, encircling the bottom of the floor of the tank.

The casting 2 is provided with a rim 6, extending upwardly above the floor of the tank to a point flush with the false bottom or strainer 7, which consists of narrow strips 8, laid so as to form interstices for the passage of the liquid to the door of the tank. On the top of these strips are laid one or more layers of fibrous or porous material 9, which are socured in the crevice between the rim 6 and the ring 10.

On the inside of the upwardly-projecting rim 6 of the fixed casting are formed a plurality of lugs 11, spaced apart at equal distances and having beveled ends 12 and slightly horizontallyinclined lower faces which form shoulders 13, extending at right angles to the inner periphery of the rim. Two of these shoulders are shown in crosssection in Fig. 1, while a third is shown in elevation in dotted lines.

Located in the tank above the casting is a sheet-iron funnel 14, provided near its top with a plurality of radiating operating-handles 15, which may be riveted or otherwise secured thereto, and on the inside of the funnel about its middle is secured a reinforcingband 16, having diametrical stays or braces 17, which resist torsional strain on the funnel due to its rotary movement in looking and unlocking, as will be more fully described hereinafter. The funnel may have a slight flare, as shown in Fig. 3, to permit it to be freely turned when the sands or residues settle.

Riveted or otherwise secured to the lower end of the funnel is a base or male member 18, having an annular offset depending portion 19, which forms a shoulder 20 above the extreme lower end of the sheet-metal funnel l4, and in this shoulder is mounted a rubber or leather gasket 21, which seatsupon the top of the rim 6 of the female member to provide a liquid-tight joint. The top of the shoulder 20 may be concaved or V-shaped in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 3, and the top of the gasket provided with a corresponding shape to prevent lateral movement of the latter.

Formed on the periphery at the lower end of the depending portion 19 of the casting 18 is a plurality of lugs 22, spaced apart and having beveled ends 23 and longitudinallycurved upper faces 24, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The curved upper faces of these lugs 22 are adapted to engage the inclined lower faces or shoulders 13 of the lugs 11 and wedge against the same when the funnel is locked in its opening, the curved faces providing a short line of contact with the shoulders and the inclination of the shoulders permitting a slight longitudinal movement of the funnel, which causes the gaskets to be pressed tightly against the upper edge of the projecting rim 6. Should the lugs wear sufficiently to prevent binding of the gasket, a thicker gasket may readily be attached; but as the normal position of the lugs is at the center of the shoulders when the gasket has been compressed to make a liquid-tight joint there is sufiicient play left in the shoulders to provide for wear. To prevent any retrograde movement, the shoulders13 may be provided with serrations or undulations.

By means of my improved construction I provide a funnel which is operated from the top and which constitutes an instrument to close the opening in the tank, thus obviating the necessity of a separate gate, and which at the same time maintains an aperture through the sands or other material.

In Fig. 1 the funnel is shown locked in its opening; but after leaching it may be unlocked by turning from right to left by means of its handles 15 until the lugs 22 are clear of the shoulders 13. The funnel, with its attached base, is then withdrawn from the sands or residues to the top of the tank, and

the process of slu icing out by means of water or shoveling into trucks below can at once commence.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A discharge apparatus for tanks provided with a casting having an' upwardly-pro jecting rim, a funnel supported on said rim and having a depending base adapted to enter said casting and means on the contiguous faces of the casting and depending base to lock the funnel to the casting.

2. A discharge apparatus for tanks provided with a casting having an upwardly-projecting rim, a funnel having operating-handles at its top and a depending annular ofiset base adapted to enter the casting, and locking-lugs formed on the contiguous faces of the base and casting.

3. A discharge apparatus for tanks provided with a casting, a funnel having handles near its top, and adapted to be locked to the casting to constitute both a gate to close the opening, and an instrument for operating the same.

4. A discharge apparatus for the tanks provided with a casting having an upwardly-projecting rim provided with shoulders spaced apart on its inner periphery, a funnel adapted to be supported on said projecting rim and having a depending offset base adapted to enter the casting and provided with lugs to engage the shoulders on the rim, and operating-handles at the top of the funnel.

5. A discharge apparatus for tanks provided with a casting having an upwardly-projecting rim provided with shoulders having longitudinally-inclined under faces, a funnel having a base provided with a depending olfset portion, a gasket mounted in the recess formed by said offset portion and adapted to seat upon the top of the rim, lugs formed on the depending portion and provided with longitudinally-curved upper faces to engage the inclined faces of the shoulders, and operating-handles at the top of the funnel.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEBBEUS H. MITCHELL. W'itnesses:

ARTHUR J. VAN KURAY, MILDRED BoYcE. 

